Internal-combustion turbine.



No. 795,889. PATENTED AUG. 1, 1905.

P. BILLINGHURST.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION TURBINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29,1904- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Inventor Q/KZV' v M No. 795,889. PATENTED AUG. 1, 1905.

' P. BILLINGHURST.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION TURBINE.

APPLICATION FILED A112. 29, 1904.

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PHILIP BILLINGHURST, OF GOWVAN BRAE, MUSSOORIE, INDIA.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION TURBINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1905.

Application filed April 29, 190% Serial No. 205,459.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PHILIP BILLINGHURST, of Gowan Brae, Mussoorie,India, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in andConnected with Internal Combustion Turbines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a turbine-motor designed for actuation by amixture of gas or oil vapor and compressed air and comprising a rotatingcylinder inclosed in a stationary casing and fitted with a web orpartition carried in helical convolutions from end to end of thecylinder, vanes being fitted between the convolutions of such contour asto form a sinuous star-shaped passage or passages for the flow of thegaseous products of combustion through the helix. In conjunction withthis turbine or a series of such turbines when used The invention isillustrated in the accom panying drawings, in which- Figure 1 1s alongitudlnal section through the motor-turbine on line 1 1 of Fig. 2,and

Fig. 2 a cross-section thereof. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of theoil, gas, or vapor generator used-for starting purposes. Fig. 4represents the airand gas pressure equalizer in longitudinal section.Fig. 5 shows the motor-turbine as applied to the driving-axle of alocomotive or motor-car; and Fig. 6 is a plan representing three motorsas arranged for marine propulsion and showing also the gas-maker, airand gas pump, reservoir, equalizer, monitor-motor, and connections.

As shown, the improved motor-turbine comprises a stationary outer casingor cover A and an inner cylindrical rotator B, between which parts isa-space (J, to which air and gas or oil vapor are admitted at highpressure.

p The rotator B is carried upon a shaft D by means of spiders orperforated disks (Z, keyed thereto and fixed at their peripheries to atube B, concentric with the rotator-shell and forming part of therotator, which is thus of annular cylindrical form. Around the annularspace within the shell B is carried a web or partition-plate B inhelical form, as shown at Fig. 1, and the space between the convolutionsof the web B is fitted with vanes B B of the star-like shape shown atFig. 2, the vanes B being secured around the tube B and the vanes B tothe shell B, while a sinuous passage B is left between them.

The outer casing A is filled with oil or water to such a level that therotator is in contact therewith and is thereby kept cool, and when oilis employed vapor is generated therefrom to mix with the gaseouscontents of the casing. Air or a mixture of gas and air under pressureis admitted to the interior of the casing A through any suitableconnection, such as the pipe S, and thence a portion of the mixturepasses from time to time through an inlet-valve E in the closed end ofthe rotator, said valve opening against the pressure of a spring 6 intoa chamber F within the rotator B. From the chamber F the explosivemixture passes through a check-valve G, also closed by a spring 9, butof lighter power, to prevent back explosions, and thence into thesinuous passage B between the vanes B B in the space between theconvolutions of the web B Immediately after entering the rotator-helixon clearing the check-valve G the gaseous mixture passes anigniting-coil H and is exploded to actuate the rotator, the products ofcombustion passing through the sinuous passage B between the vanes andfinding its way into the end space B, which is closed off from the tubeB by an end disk 6 and exhausting through a hollow gudgeon H andexhaust-pipe H to the atmosphere, the exhaust being carried round a fanI at the end' of the rotator.

The igniting-coil H is composed of a nonconductor, which is kept at abright heat by coils of wire of high resistance heated by an electriccurrent from a battery or other source, the current being suppliedthrough insulated wires it, carried along the shaft D from slip-rings hthereon pressing on terminals of said wires. e

The rotator-shaft is supported at the inlet end in a bearing formed by astufling-box orpacking-gland I on the end of the outer casing A, and atits opposite end the weight of the rotator is carried by an outsidejournalbearing J on a standard J, while the hollow gudgeon H at therotator end is formed externally with rings which enter correspondingrecesses in a thrust-block K, to which oil is supplied, so as tomaintain a gas-tight joint by means of the oil, the surplus oiloverflowing into the casing A.

In the operation of the motor the exploding gas passing through thehelical and starshaped vanes loses its heat and pressure in revolvingthe rotator B and is thereafter exhausted at atmospheric pressure intothe exhaust-pipe. The air and gas or vapor within the outer casing A andaround the shaft within the tube B absorb the heat, as also does the oilin contact with which the rotator revolves, the oil being therebyvaporized.

The inlet-valve E only opens to admit a portion of the gaseous mixturewithin the outer casing A when the pressure of the mixture is such as toovercome the power of the spring 6, and the valve closes to prevent backexplosion. On the strength of the valvespring and on the gaseouspressure depends the speed of the rotator, to which the gaseous mixtureis admitted at any part of its rotation. The valve E thus opens andcloses under the pressure of the gas within the chamber C irrespectiveof the speed of the motor and is only controlled by the pressure of thegases. It allows the motor to start at any position immediately thegas-cock admitting the gas to the casing is opened. The check-valve Gr,the spring of which is lighter than the spring of the valve E, at oncepermits the passage of the gaseous mixture, and as the valve G closes inadvance of the inlet-valve E the prevention of back explosions isinsured.

The gases after explosion by the ignitingcoil H rush round and round thehelical passage between the vanes, striking against their corrugatedsurfaces till their temperature falls to a degreesuitable forexhausting.

The gaseous mixture may be oil-vapor generated from the oil within thecasing or forced into the casing A along with air, or it may be composedof power-gas to which air is added, the power-gas and air beingcompressed by a pump and being enriched, if desired, by oilvaporgenerated within the casing by the heat of the rotator in contact withthe oil. To facilitate such generation of oil-vapor, a series'of scoopsb may be fitted on the rotator B to raise the oil in the bottom of thecasing ranged and connected to the casing L by piping M, as indicated atFig. 6, draws off the gas which is at atmospheric pressure andcompresses it along with a suitable supply of air, the mixture beingthen delivered to reservoir and equalizer and thence into the casingA ordirect into the casing A, as shown at Fig. 5. The gas-maker may be cutout after the motor is heated up to generate vapor from the oilcontained in the casing A.

In large installations, as indicated at Fig. 6, an air or gas pump M isdriven by a monitor-motor N, which may be similar in every way to but ofmuch smaller dimensions and power than the motors A A A and which mayalso be arranged to drive a dynamo O for general lighting purposes. Themonitor N is furnished with a governor O, which actuates a leveroperating the cock O supplying the gas, and the speed at which themonitor is driven determines the speed of the larger motors by itsaction in operating the airpump which supplies the motors with air orgas and air under pressure. The compressed air is delivered by a pipe 19to an air and gas tank or reservoir P, and thence it passes by a pipe q,furnishedwith valves, to an equalizing-tank Q, (shown detached in Fig.A) partially filled with oil by a pipe 9 from an oiltank R. From theequalizer Q the compressed air and oil-vapor pass by piping S, furnishedwith valves 8, into the outer casings of each of the motors A and themonitor-motor N, a supply of oil being carried along with the compressedair. At starting a supply of gas may be taken from the gasmaker L to mixwith the compressed air; but when the motors are heated up the gasmakermay be cut off, and the vapor generated from the oil-supply to the motoris then used in conjunction with the compressed-air supply to form theexplosive mixture for driving the motors.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States, is I 1.Aninternal-combustionturbinecomprising, in combination, a stationarycasing, to which compressed air and oil or gas is supplied, and arotator adapted to revolve in said casing, said rotator consisting ofcylindrical shells a helical web fitted in said shells and star-shapedvanes attached to said shells within the helical space formed by saidweb, substantially as described.

2. In an internal-combustion turbine of the kind set forth a stationarycasing, a shaft, a rotator fast on said shaft, said rotator comprisingannular cylindrical shells, a helical web fitted in said shells andvanes attached to said shells leaving a sinuous' helical passage betweenthem: a gas-inlet at one end of said casing a spring-closed valve, anignition-coil within the casing to explode the admitted gases and anexhaust-opening at the other end of the casing substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination of an internal-combustion-turbine motor composed ofan outer stationary casing and an inner rotator within said veassa 3casing and rotating in contact with oil therein of an air-compressingpump, a gas and air reservoir, and a pressure-equalizer connected tosaid reservoir and arranged to deliver compressed air and gas into themotor-casing, substantially as described.

t. An internal-combustion engine, comprising in combination, a hollowcasing, a shaft longitudinally disposed in said casing, a rotator onsaid shaft comprising two annular shells one within the other, ahelicalweb connecting said shells, star-shaped vanes, connected to said shellswithin the space inclosed by said helical web, a chamber at one end ofsaid rotator an inlet-valve admitting combustible mixture into saidchamber, a spring tend ing to close said valve a check-valve admittingsaid mixture into said rotator, a second spring weaker than said firstspring tending to close said check-Valve, a hollow gudgeon at the otherend of said casing and an exhaustpipe connected to said gudgeon,substantially as described.

In testimony WhereofI have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

PHILIP BILLINGHURST.

Witnesses:

F. CARLETON, C. C. BONNETT.

